Kathryn Tremills, piano

Dr. Kathryn Tremills has been described by the press as "a brilliant pianist”, "a performer of amazing technical artistry and mature virtuosity" and "a remarkably perceptive and gifted musician." Excelling as a performing artist has only increased her demand as a gifted teacher and coach. Kathryn holds a doctorate from the prestigious University of Michigan and is an alumnus of the Eastman School of Music, University of Colorado at Boulder and University of Toronto. Pianists with whom Kathryn has worked represent a virtual who’s-who of piano pedagogues, including Martin Katz, Angela Cheng, Dr. Nelita True, Marietta Orlov, Gwen Beamish and Shirley Hawkins.

In addition to performing on numerous concert series including the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, Off Centre Music Salon, Canadian Art Song Project, Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre Thursday Noon Concerts and Pro Musica Detroit, Kathryn has been on the musical staff at the Canadian Opera Company. Twice a Canada Council Grant recipient, she has also appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras in North America, including premiering a piano concerto written for her by Canadian composer Andrew Ager.

Kathryn holds appointments to the faculties of Western University, London Ontario and the University of Toronto. In summers she is a faculty member of the Centre for Opera in Sulmona, Italy (COSI) www.co-si.com founded and directed by Dr. Darryl Edwards and Canadian Operatic Arts Academy (COAA). Kathryn resides in Toronto with her husband, Bass-Baritone Giles Tomkins and their son Benjamin.

Piano Centric

Chamber Music featuring Kathryn Tremills, Pianist

Trio D’Argento

Sibylle Marquardt, Flute

Peter Stoll, Clarinet

Kathryn Tremills, Piano

Soloists of Canadian Brass

Eric Reed, Horn

Achilles Liarmakopoulos, Trombone

Since its inception the piano has played a major role in the history and development of Chamber Music. Because it can attain a near orchestral volume of sound and complexity and yet be played with the precision and intimacy of a single line instrument, it is an instrument perfectly suited to the compositions presented on this CD. To realize the instrument’s potential, the pianist herself must have the the passion and flair of a soloist combined with the artistic skills for ensemble performance.

What better place to start than with the music of Beethoven, a composer who was actually involved with the earliest designs of the pianoforte? His Piano Trio in B-flat major is a delightful way to explore the combination of instruments with the piano. Originally scored for piano, clarinet and cello it was also published with violin replacing the clarinet, with further adaptations employing the bassoon as bass instrument. Had the art of trombone performance been at the extraordinary level displayed by Achilles in this version Beethoven would have never written for anything or anyone else!

Trio d’Argento then performs the two French works on the CD – Camille Saint-Saëns’ spirited Tarantella and the Deux Interludes by Jacques Ibert. These two works have become a must-play staples of the core repertoire for Piano Trio -- flute, clarinet & piano. Although written perhaps nearly one hundred years apart, they are perfect companions in their lighthearted constitutions and energetic love of life.

Finishing this chamber music excursion is a work of majestic proportions, the Quintet for Piano and Winds, Opus 79 by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Rimsky-Korsakov’s early years included self-immersion in learning about orchestration. Clearly the use of instruments in this quintet exhibits his mastery of their capabilities. Once again adding trombone, an instrument for which Rimsky-Korsakov wrote a concerto with military band, to the mixture has given this work a whole new interpretation.

With piano as the central player along with state-of-the-art modern instruments, the works on this CD spring to life!